Makhachev Fires Back at Prates After Prates Alleges Faked Injury to Avoid Fight

Islam Makhachev has responded on X to Carlos Prates after the Brazilian said he believes the welterweight champion tried to fake an injury to avoid their fight. The exchange played out on social media on Saturday, with the fight now being linked to UFC 336.

Makhachev, 34, holds the welterweight title with a 29-1 record. The Russian from Eagles MMA is a southpaw who stands five-foot-ten with a 70-inch reach. His most recent recorded fight was a unanimous decision win over Ian Machado Garry at UFC 330 on August 15, 2026, a title defense that went the full five rounds. That followed another five-round unanimous decision over Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322 in November 2025, and a first-round submission of Renato Moicano at UFC 311 in January 2025.

His numbers reflect a grappling-first style: 3.22 takedowns per 15 minutes, 0.9 submission attempts per 15 minutes, and 58 percent striking accuracy at 2.27 significant strikes landed per minute.

Prates, 33, is ranked number two at welterweight with a 24-7 record. The Brazilian from Vale Top Team fights out of a switch stance and is far bigger on paper, at six-foot-one with a 78-inch reach. His most recent recorded fight was a third-round KO/TKO of Della Maddalena on May 2, 2026. Before that he stopped Leon Edwards in the second round at UFC 322 and Geoff Neal in the first round at UFC 319, giving him three straight stoppage wins in our records.

Why it matters

• Prates lands 3.77 significant strikes per minute, about 1.5 more than Makhachev's 2.27, at 55 percent accuracy.
• The reach gap is eight inches in Prates's favor, and he stands three inches taller.
• Prates averages just 0.21 takedowns per 15 minutes against Makhachev's 3.22, a stark contrast in how each man wants the fight to go.
• Prates is the number-two ranked welterweight, so a bout with the champion carries clear title implications.

The report that Makhachev tried to fake an injury is Prates's allegation and has not been substantiated. The back-and-forth adds public tension to a matchup that, on the numbers, pits one of the sport's most active strikers against its most dominant grappler.